Kennison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The forbears of the name Kennison once lived in or near some now-lost place called Kynaston, which experts agree was probably in the English border county of Shropshire. The surname Kennison belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Kennison family

The surname Kennison was first found in Shropshire, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kinnerly, some say before the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066. Conjecturally they are descended from the Princes of Powys in Wales, through Griffith, son of Joerweth Goch, Lord of Mochnan, younger son of Meredith, Prince of Powis who took refuge in Shropshire. King Henry III of England gave him lands in that county. He married Matilda, the heiress of Ralph le Strange by whom he acquired the Manor of Kinnerly. Griffith' son, Griffith Vychan settled at Tre-gynvarth, which, when anglicized, is Kynvarth's Town, which, when spoken, became slurred into Kynastown, or Kynaston.

Early History of the Kennison family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kennison research.Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1433, 1495, 1459, 1534, 1491, 1564, 1516, 1590, 1554, 1587, 1642, 1621, 1622, 1640 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Kennison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kennison Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Kennison has occasionally been spelled Kynaston, Kynerston, Kinnaston, Kinaston, Keniston, Kennison, Kenison and many more.

Early Notables of the Kennison family (pre 1700)

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Francis Kynaston (1516-1590), an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Shropshire in April 1554; Sir Francis Kynaston or Kinaston (1587-1642), an English lawyer, courtier, poet and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1622... Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kennison Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kennison family to the New World and Oceana

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Kennison: